Air-separator.



No. 785,811. PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

' 0. H. LANE.

AIR SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29.1904.

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PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

0. H. LANE.

AIR SEPARATDR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29.1904.

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Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OEErcE.

'CHARLES H. LANE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

AlR-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,811, dated March 28, 1905.

Application filed February 29,1904. Serial N0.195,826.

Beit known that I, OHARLEs H. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State 'of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air-Separators, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is an improved machine adapted to operate upon dry pulverized material---for example, pulverized oreto separate the lighter from the heavier constituents thereof. It is designed particularly to correct the imperfections of prior machines such, for example, as are shown in my Patents Nos. 728,473 and 728,474and to provide a practically efficient machine adapted for every-day use for the purpose specified.

The invention may be here summarized as the construction and combination of parts shown in the drawings and hereinafter described, and definitely set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of the inlet end of one of the separator-tubes, the extreme end thereof being in central vertical section. Fig. A is a sectional view upon line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the valve mechanism contained in the admissionpipe of one of the feed-hoppers.

Referring to the parts by letters, A A A represent the separator-cylinders, of which there may be one or many. Three are shown in the drawings; but they are all alike in respect to their construction and combination with other parts of the apparatus. Each discharges, however, onto a settling-box B, from which air is exhausted by means of a suctionfan O. A description of one of these cylinders and its adjuncts will answer for all. The

projecting discharge-spout (Z.

discharge end of the cylinder is provided with a downwardly directed discharge spout e. which is formed a part of a cap E, secured to the cylinder. This cap has an outwardlyextended forked bracket 0, which is loosely hung on the transverse d riving-shaft F.

An agitator-shaft Gr extends axially through the cylinder A, passing through the caps at both ends thereof. The lower end of said shaft has its bearing in an external bracket d, which is integral with the cap D. The upper projecting end of the shaft is rotatably mounted in a bearing in the bracket e. A beveled gear g is secured to the upper end of this shaft, and it is in mesh with a beveled gearf on the driving-shaft. Secured to this shaft Gr within the cylinder are a plurality of agitator-arms g, which preferably carry agitatorbruslies H.

Through the top of the cylinder, about midway between its ends, are a plurality of small admission-orifices @2110! the pulverized material. A fecd-box J is secured upon the cylinder over these admission-orifices. This box is provided with a vertical admission-tube In this tube is a valve K of any suitable construction for example, such as is shown clearly in Fig. 5which controls the flow of the pulverized material from the tube j into the feed-box J. Secured within the feed-box, just below the admission-tube, is a V-shaped deflector-plate L, upon which the pulverized material which passes said valve K falls and is so deflected that it will fall substantially upon all of the perforations cf referred to.

Secured tolthe lower end of the cylinder, and specifically to the cap D, is a hinged arm N, having a plurality of perforations n, which are adapted to engage with fixed hook O. This is a means for quickly changing the angle of inclination of said cylinder, and this change of inclination is permitted without disturbing the operative connection between the shaft G and the driving-shaft F, because the upper end of the tube is swingingly supported upon said driving-shaft.

The discharge-spout e at the upper end of the cylinder enters and fits a sleeve p, projecting upward from the curved plate P. This plate fits the curved top surface around the inlet-opening Z) to the settling-box. This plate is adjustably secured to the top of the box. If. therefore, the cylinder A be adjusted to a different inclination, this plate P is correspondingly adjusted, so that the discharge-tube of cylinder A will tightly fit the packing p, interposed between it and the sleeve 12. The outlet-pipe R of the settlingbox is also at the top thereof, and it is connected with a suction-fan G, by which air is drawn through said box and through the cylinder A. In the box there is a vertical partition 5 extending from the top downward to a point near the bottom, thereby separating that part of the box into which the air flows from that part of the box from which it flows. The air carrying the lighter particles must therefore dive beneath this partition in passing from the inlet to the outlet of the box. One or more screens X are secured across the path by which the air must pass upward to the outlet-pipe, and these screens partially check the upward flow of those particles which the air, except for said screen, would carry outof the box and to the fan. As a matter of fact the practical result of the construction is that substantially all of the pulverized particles excepting only the finest dust will collect upon the inclined bottom 5" of said box. When a suflicient quantity has collected, it will automatically open the gate or valve 6 and slide out upon the inclined screen Y.

In operation the pulverized material is fed into the tube 7" and falls therefrom at the proper rate through the valve K into the hopper and thence through the openings (f into the cylinder. This cylinder is inclined at the proper angle to suit the pulverized material. The air-current enters the recurved lower end of the cylinder and flows up through the cylinder and out and into the settling-box. The agitator-brushes as the shaft Gr rotates throw this pulverized material into the air, and the air-currents take up the lighter particles and carry them to the settling-box. The heavier particles of the material gradually work their way toward the low end of the cylinder, from which they are discharged through the discharge-spout The advantage of employing as the lower end of the tube a cap approximately like the cap D, whiclrfurnishes a recurved inlet end to the cylinder A, are that it prevents the brushes from throwing material out of the end of the tube and compels all this material to fall through the delivery-spoutinto a suitable receptacle placed to catch it. It is also a convenient construction for furnishing a bearing for the lower end of the shaft G, and it further affords a convenient point of attachment for the perforated link N. As shown, three of these cylinders are employed. The settling-boxes into which they discharge may be chambers formed in a big box by vertical partitions b, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. These three cylinders near their lower ends are severally provided with adjustable clamping-collars V, having laterally-projecting ears o, by which they may be bolted together. The outside ears, associated with the outside cylinders A and A are connected to bolts WV, which pass through the vertical slots at in plates secured to the supporting end frame members. By means of those bolts the tubes may be supported at any desired inclination without placing reliance upon the perforated link N.

Air is withdrawn by suction from the settling-boxes. A single suction-fan C is shown for this purpose; but obviously it is immaterial to the present invention whether one or several suction devices are so employed.

The pulverized material to be acted upon may be graded before it is delivered into the feed-pipey", so that all of the particles fed into any cylinder will be of substantially-equal size, wherefore obviously they will be of unequal weight if made up of particles having different specific gravities. By varying the inclination of the cylinder and the force of the air-current the desired separation may be made so that the heavier particles are delivered from discharge-spout (Z and the lighter particles are delivered into the settling-box B. If, therefore, there is enough material of one grade to be acted upon by all those cylinders, it is of advantage that they be connected together and that they be served by a single suction-fan, because thereby one regulation of the force of the blast may be made and all of the cylinders may have their inclination adjusted at one operation; but if the different cylinders are to be used with different grades of material it is desirable that the air-currents and the inclination of cylinders should be separately adjustable. The dotted lines in Fig. 2 indicate the pipe by which the several settling-boxes may be connected with independent fans.

Although the particles fed to a cylinder may be of the same size, the heavier particles may be friable and so become broken up as it is tossed around within the cylinder. Such broken particles becoming smaller become also lighter and are carried away by the aircurrent into the settling-box. In order to automatically separate these smaller particles of the heavier material from the large particles of the light material, an inclined screen Y is provided, onto which the particles are discharged from the settling-box, this screen being of such mesh that the small particles will fall through it.

Having described my invention, 1 claim- 1. The combination of an inclined cylinder having, through its top, holes for the admission of the material to be acted upon, a cap secured over the lower end of said cylinder having an admission-openingout of line with the cylinder and havinga downwardly-directed discharge-orifice, a cap closing the discharge end of the cylinder and having a dischargespout out of line with the cylinder, an agitator-shaft in said cylinder passing through said caps and mounted in bearings outside of the caps and rigid therewith, driving means outside of said cylinder for rotating said shaft, agitator-arms secured to the shaft within the cylinder, and means for causing an air-current to flow upwardly through said cylinder. substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of an inclined cylinder having through its top holes for the admission of the materials to be acted upon, a cap secured over the lower end of said cylinder, having an admission-opening out of line with the cylinder and having a down wardly-directed discharge-orifice, a cap closing the upper end of the cylinder and having a dischargespout out of line with the cylinder, an agitator-shaft in said cylinder passing through said caps and mounted in bearings outside of the caps and rigid therewith, a driving-shaft outside of said cylinder, meshing beveled gears secured to it and to the agitator-shaft, arms secured to the cylinder and loosely embracing said driving-shaft, and means for adjusting the other end of said cylinder to various elevations.

3. The combination of an inclined cylinder,

a rotating agitator-shaft therein, and agitator-arm secured to said shaft, with afeed-box over said cylinder, there being a plurality of small openings leading from said feed-box to the interior of the cylinder, an inlet-pipe to said feed-box, a deflector-plate below said inlet-pipe, and means for causing air to flow through said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4E. The combination of an inclined cylinder, a rotating agitator-shaft therein, and agitator-arm secured to said shaft, with a feed-box over said cylinder, there being a plurality of small openings leading from said feed-box to the interior of the cylinder, an inlet-pipe to said feed-box, and a deflector-plate below said inlet-pipe, and a valve in said inlet-pipe, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of an inclined cylinder having in its top side a plurality of small admission-openings for the material to be acted upon, and having at its lower end an opening for the admission of air, and having its upper end closed by a cap which is provided with a downwardly-extended discharge-tube, and supporting-arms secured to the upper end of the cylinder, with a driving-shaft which is loosely embraced by said arms, an agitatorshaft in said cylinder extending through said cap and operatively connected with the driving-shaft, asettling-box having an inlet-opening through its top, which opening is surrounded by a curved surface, a curved plate adjustably secured upon said curved surface and having a sleeve into which said outletpipe is fitted, and a suction-fan acting to withdraw air from said box, and means for supporting the other end of said cylinder at any desired height, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of an inclined cylinder having in its top side a plurality of small admission-openings for the material to be acted upon, and having at its lower end one opening for the admission of air and another for the discharge of the material, and having its other end closed by .a cap which is provided with a downwardly-extended discharge-tube, supporting-arms secured to the upper end of the cylinder, a driving-shaft which is loosely embraced by said arms, an agitator-shaft in said cylinder extending through said cap and operatively connected with the driving-shaft, a settling-box having an inlet-opening through its top which opening is surrounded by a curved surface, a curved plate adjustably secured upon said curved surface and having an upwardly-extended sleeve into which said outlet-pipe is fitted, said box having an outlet near its top, a suction-fan connected with said outlet, and a downwardly-extended partition between the inlet and outlet openings of said box whereby the air passing through said box is compelled to dive beneath said partition and then flow upward to the outlet, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

7. Thecombination of an air-separator cylinder having in its top side a plurality of small admission-openings for the material to be acted upon and having one opening for the admission of air and having its other end closed by a cap which is provided with a clownwardly-extended discharge-tube, supportingarms secured to the upper end of the cylinder, a drivingshaft in said cylinder extending through said cap and operatively connected with the driving-shaft, a settling-box having an inlet-opening through its top which opening is surrounded by a curved surface, a curved plate adj ustably secured upon said curved surface and having an u pwardly-extended sleeve into which said outlet-pipe is fitted, said box having an outlet near its top, a suction-fan connected with said outlet, and a downwardlyextended partition between the inlet and outlet openings of said box whereby the air passing through said box is compelled to dive beneath said partition and then flow upward to the outlet, a screen secured across the upward path of said air, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of an inclined air-separator cylinder having a recurved open lower end and a downwardly-extended dischargespout at said end, the upper end of said cylinder being closed by a cap having a downwardly-extended discharge-tube, and said cylinder being also provided with a plurality of small admission-orifices through its upper side, with a rotatable agitator-shaft extending axially through said cylinder and projecting from the ends thereof and mounted in bearings outside of the cylinder but rigid therewith, and means for causing an upwardly-flowing current of air through said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of a plurality of separably-connected air-separator cylinders having openings through their tops for the admission of the pulverized material to be treated and having recurved open lower ends and having downwardly-extended discharge-tubes at their upper ends, agitator-shafts in said cylinders, settling-boxes into which said discharge-tubes severally discharge, and means for withdrawing the air from said boxes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. The combination of a plurality of. inclined parallel cylinders connected together,

each having at its lower end an opening for the admission of air, and having at its upper end an air-discharge spout, clamping-rings secured upon said cylinders and connected together, a horizontal driving-shaft on which the upper ends of said cylinders are swingingly supported, and a rotating agitator-shaft in each cylinder carrying agitator-arms, meshing beveled gears secured to said driving-shaft and agitator-shafts, and means for supporting the lower ends of said cylinders at any desired elevation, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. LANE.

WVitnesses:

E. B. (JrILCHRIS'I, E. L. TI-IURS'PON. 

